Nghe An: Hold leaders accountable if widespread firecrackers occur in the area

Lunar New Year 2022 is approaching, however, the crime and law violation situation in the province is still complicated, fireworks are bought, sold and transported to Nghe An from many sources: From Laos through border gates, small-scale roads, from the northern provinces in, from the southern provinces out... Many cases of buying, selling and transporting large quantities of fireworks; the amount of fireworks hidden in large households; potentially many complicated risks due to the situationfirecrackerson New Year's Eve of the Lunar New Year 2022.

Several subjects and more than 1.5 tons of fireworks were discovered and arrested by authorities on November 14, 2021. Photo: Minh Khoi - Trong Tuan

Faced with that situation, on January 21, 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Official Dispatch No. 03/CD-UBND on strengthening the prevention and control of violations of the law on fireworks before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Nham Dan 2022.

In particular, requesting Directors of departments, heads of provincial-level departments and branches; Chairmen of People's Committees of districts, cities and towns: Seriously and comprehensively implement key tasks in Plan No. 524/KH-UBND dated September 16, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee on preventing and combating violations of firecrackers before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2022; Focus on innovating content, diversifying forms and methods of propaganda, disseminating regulations on banning the production, import, storage, transportation and illegal use of firecrackers and mobilizing people to voluntarily hand over firecrackers.

The Provincial People's Committee also requested:

-Department of Information and Communications, Provincial Radio and Television Station, Nghe An Newspaper:Strengthen the propaganda and dissemination of legal regulations on the prohibition of production, import, trade, storage, transportation and illegal use of fireworks; regularly report and report on violations of fireworks, and praise the achievements of the authorities in detecting and arresting criminals and law violators related to fireworks.gwork to mobilize people to voluntarily hand over and collect fireworks.

Fireworks traders were discovered and arrested by Quynh Luu District Police. Photo: Xuan Bac

-Department of Education and TrainingDirect educational institutions and schools in the province to organize propaganda activities and disseminate the law on banning fireworks to teachers, students, and sign a commitment not to violate the production, trading, storage, transportation, and illegal use of fireworks.

-Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Provincial Youth Union, Provincial Women's Union, Provincial Veterans Association, Provincial Elderly Association, Provincial Farmers' Association, Provincial Labor FederationActively coordinate with relevant departments, agencies, local Party committees and authorities to strongly launch a widespread movement of the entire people to protect national security, associated with actively participating in the work of preventing and combating violations of firecrackers. At the same time, there are forms of propaganda and mobilization of cadres, members, union members and their families not to commit violations of firecrackers, launching a movement of union members and union members to actively mobilize people to collect firecrackers at all levels of the association and Youth Union from the provincial to the grassroots level.

Authorities inspect the evidence of the violation. Photo: Viet Hung

-Provincial PoliceDirect mobile propaganda teams to strengthen solutions at key routes and locations; preside over and coordinate with the Department of Home Affairs to advise the Provincial People's Committee to reward collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the fight against firecrackers; regularly monitor, urge and propose criticism and handling of responsibilities for collectives and individuals with authority to manage fields and locations where violations of the law on firecrackers occur, affecting security and order or causing bad public opinion. Coordinate with the People's Court and the People's Procuracy at all levels to select typical cases related to firecrackers to speed up the investigation process and promptly prosecute and try them before the Lunar New Year of Nham Dan 2022 in key locations, in order to propagate, educate, deter and prevent crimes.

-Provincial Military CommandDirect to strengthen coordination with local authorities to patrol, control, propagate and disseminate legal regulations on prohibiting the production, import, trade, storage, transportation and illegal use of fireworks.

Nghe An Market Management Department coordinated with Hung Nguyen District Police to discover and seize 20.2 kg of illegal fireworks. Photo: Cam Phu

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee requested the Provincial Police, the Provincial Border Guard Command, the Provincial Customs Department, the Provincial Market Management Department, the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to focus on directing and strengthening solutions to combat and arrest lines, groups, subjects illegally producing, trading, transporting, storing and using fireworks, and excellently completing assigned targets and tasks. In particular, focusing on strengthening armed patrol and control forces, patrolling and controlling on key routes and areas, and administrative inspections at stations, wharves, bus stations, commercial centers and markets to detect and strictly handle subjects who illegally trade, transport and store fireworks.

Leaders of Cua Lo Town awarded Certificates of Merit and bonuses to the Task Force for seizing 1.35 tons of firecrackers and arresting many suspects. Photo: My Hanh

-For Chairmen of People's Committees of districts, cities and towns,The telegram of the Provincial People's Committee requires to organize experience review and re-evaluate the situation, results, shortcomings and limitations in directing and organizing the implementation of prevention solutions.g, anti-artillery in the area to focus on drastic solutions. The focus is on:

- Direct the established Fireworks Prevention and Control Working Groups of the District People's Committee.(according to the direction in section 14, part IV of Plan No. 524/KH-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee)Promote the implementation of assigned tasks in the Plan, in which the heads of working groups must be responsible to the Chairman of the District People's Committee and the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee for the situation and results of firecracker prevention and control in the area under their responsibility, especially the situation of illegal firecrackers on New Year's Eve of the Lunar New Year of Nham Dan in 2022.

900 kg of fireworks and related subjects were discovered and arrested on November 16, 2021. Photo: Minh Khoi - Trong Tuan

- Direct the inter-sectoral delegations at the commune level to continue to strengthen inspection, propaganda, and mobilization to collect firecrackers and fireworks in communes, wards, and towns with high potential risks of firecracker violations until the Lunar New Year 2022.

- Direct communes, wards and towns to establish patrolling teams to ensure security and order and prevent fireworks on New Year's Eve, ensuring that each commune, ward and town must have at least 01 working team; communes, wards and towns with many fireworks in 2021 must arrange at least 02 working teams. Each team must have at least 10 people.(including the commune-level police force, commune-level military command, militia, civil defense, mass organizations tasked with ensuring security and order at the grassroots level...)patrol(At the same time, go to each house of key subjects to meet, propagate and remind),timely detect, prevent, arrest, and handle crimes and violations of the law on fireworks.

Nghi Loc District Police seized 227kg of firecrackers. Photo: Hong Ngoc

- Direct relevant departments, branches and organizations in the locality, especially in communes, wards and towns, to strengthen propaganda on firecracker prevention and control at key routes and areas through the grassroots loudspeaker system.facility (at least 03 times/day)Establish firecracker prevention and control working groups in villages, blocks, and hamlets to review and identify households and individuals with conditions, capabilities, and suspicions of firecracker violations; promptly take measures to propagate, inspect, mobilize firecracker collection, and organize the signing of commitments not to violate firecracker regulations.

Evidence seized in a firecracker trafficking case. Photo: Trong Tuan

- Assign responsibility to leaders and managers in managing the area and field of responsibility and have sanctions to handle responsibilities in emulation and reward work for collectives and individuals in advising, directing and implementing solutions to prevent and combat fireworks in the area and field of responsibility. Leaders of the People's Committees at district and commune levels who allow widespread fireworks to occur in the area on New Year's Eve must be responsible to the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee and the Chairman of the District People's Committee.

Previously, on September 16, 2021, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Plan No. 524/UBND/KH-UBND to prevent and combat violations of the law on fireworks before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Nham Dan 2022. After 4 months of implementation, 165 cases, 252 criminals and violators of the law on fireworks were arrested, and 6.2 tons of various types of fireworks were seized.